Another Glorious Day
by Wisel
Summary: Another day in the clinic. At least that's what House thinks. Today he will meet Rosemary, a woman who will become the deadliest woman he has ever met.
1. Chapter 1

-1Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D.

"What a glorious morning" House thought to himself while walking from his car to the hospital. "Birds are singing, sun is shining, lovers are holding hands… I couldn't care less."

"Good morning, Dr House!" a familiar voice exclaimed, much to his disappointment, Chase's.

"You're late, Chase," House said without turning around or even stopping.

"So are you," Chase replied and caught up with him, holding a coffee in his hand.

"Is that for me? You shouldn't have," came the answer and House snatched the coffee out of Chase's hands. "And, moving on, you're telling me off for being late? How do you know I wasn't out looking for you? I almost worry about my staff."

"Almost isn't good enough," Chase said and watched House drink his coffee.

"After you," House said, held up the door and twirled his cane.

---

House was sitting in the exam room, watching General Hospital as usual, when a woman walked into the room, holding her stomach.

"The nurse told me to come here," she said.

"The nurse told you?" he replied. "Oh, I see. I'm getting that nurse fired. How dares she interrupt me in the middle of my soaps?" The woman looked slightly confused.

"Okay…" She sat down. "I've been throwing up and I'm feeling nauseous for days."

"Very interesting," House said, turning back to the portable TV in his hand. "What have you been eating lately?"

"I just got back from Asia, India to be pre-"

"Food poisoning," House interrupted her. With his eyes on the mini-TV, he walked across the room and signed a yellow prescription slip. "Here, these'll stop the nausea. Take them three times a day, never mix them with alcohol. Now, get the hell out of my exam room!"

"Hang on. You must be kidding me. _Aspirin_?" she said and raised both her eyebrows. "You're giving me head ache pills?"

"Let me see," House faked concern. "Oh, I knew I forgot something! What's your name?"

"Rosemary Smith," the woman seemed pleased when she saw House filling in something on the slip. He handed it to her.

"Bye bye!" he said and signaled that it was time to leave the room.

"Aspirin does not stop vomiting," she said. "I want a proper exam."

"Okay then, come back when it's not soap-time," he said and shut the door in front of her.

Five minutes later, Cuddy entered the room, and behind her stood Rosemary Smith.

"You must be kidding me," House said. "What did I do now?"

"You told this woman that Aspirin stops vomiting, am I correct?" Cuddy sounded tired. She had done this too many times.

"That is not correct," House said. "I told her it would stop the nausea, and when the nausea stops the vomiting stops. Now, if you don't mind, something very important is going to happen!"

"House," Cuddy said. "House! Listen to me! Give this girl a proper exam, and do it now!"

"Okay," House said sulkily. "I missed the good part anyway."

---

"I told you fifteen minutes ago it was food poisoning, but that wasn't good enough for you, noo, you had to go tell Dr Cuddy and put a mark in my near spotless record!" House complained as he prescribed medicine for Rosemary Smith.

"Near spotless, Dr House?" Rosemary Smith asked.

"Okay, I have done some things that may not have been totally according to the hospital rules or even the law, but I did it to save their lives," House shrugged. "Name?"

"Still Rosemary Smith," she replied. "Their lives? As in many people? God, you must be wanted by the FBI by now."

"I wish," House said. "At least it would get me out of this lousy clinic."

"Dr House," Rosemary said again. "I know I've only known you for twenty minutes-"

"Fifteen," House corrected her.

"Anyway, I was wondering - would you like to catch a movie sometime?"

"No no," House said and popped a pain killer into his mouth. "I don't think so."

"Just one date," she said.

"No!"

"If you don't say yes, I'll come back and pester you until you do."

"So, what film would you like to see?" Rosemary smiled triumphantly.

"I live here," she said and slipped a business card under his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

"I heard about your date," Wilson greeted House in the corridor.

"Your kidding me," House replied. "Gossip travels faster than deceases in this place."

"You do know it's against our rules to date patients," Wilson commented.

"You know, James, it's one lousy date," House said. "A date I don't even want to go on."

"So why are you going?"

"Good question," House said and searched his pocket for his pills. "She threatened to come back until I said yes." And that said, Dr Wilson's beeper went off and he had to rush to the OR.

"A patient of mine is crashing, see you later," he said and turned around.

"Bye, Jamie," House yawned and entered his office.

---

"I hate sick people," House muttered as yet another kid with a runny nose closed the door to the exam room. She was the tenth girl today. All in all, it had been 16 children. 16 children, messing around with his instruments, yanking at his stethoscope. "A looong day. Time to go home." Just as he was about to leave, Cuddy came in.

"Dr House," she said. "We need you upstairs I have been beeping you for half an hour!"

"Sorry, Cuddy, but my shift is over. Sayonara!" he said and walked out.

"Look, Greg, this is important, we really need you," she begged.

"Well, I need a glass off whisky and a house keeper, but you know-" he shrugged "-what're you supposed to do?"

"It's Wilson," she said. House turned sharply. "He collapsed in the lift about forty-five minutes ago."

"Is he…" House didn't dare say the word. "Is he alive?"

"Barely. We think it was a blood clot, somewhere between the brain and chest. He's in the ICU, I would go see him if I were you." House nodded and hurried towards the lifts.

---

Cameron, Chase and Foreman stood gathered around the hospital bed.

"Dr House," Cameron said. "I'm so sorry." She had obviously been crying.

"I didn't know you knew Wilson that well," he replied and walked over to the bed. He wasn't quite sure what to do next.

"Neither did I," she said. "I found him." House didn't answer her.

"I think we'll leave Dr House alone for a minute," Chase said and the three of them went outside. House turned and saw them looking threw the glass.

"Don't you have work to do?" he said and they disappeared, like scared fish. He looked down on his friend, still not sure what to do. He sat down on the chair next to the bed. Cuddy came in.

"Is he in a coma?" he asked, not taking his eyes of Wilson for a second.

"Yes," she said. "He'll wake up soon." House nodded. "Greg, he'll snap right out of it, I'm sure he will."

"I don't need to be comforted," he said. "We're not married." Cuddy walked out from the room, but took one last look before she closed the door. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen House like this. She gently closed the door and headed for her office, tears burning behind her eyelids.

"Uhm… Listen, I know you can hear me," House started talking quietly, almost whispering. "And God help you if you should ever tell anyone that I'm talking to a guy in a coma." He paused, hoping that maybe Wilson would wake up. "Whatever it is we gave, you know this weird friendship kind off thing, I don't want to lose it." Again he paused. "If you die now, I will never forgive you." He got out of his chair and walked out.


	3. Chapter 3

-1"Only two hours left on my shift," James Wilson thought to himself as he stepped into the empty lift. He was in a bad mood, his patient just died on the operating table, removing a brain tumor.

"Dr Wilson!" the head nurse called before the doors closed. She put her foot between the doors to stop them from closing completely.

"What is so urgent?" James complained.

"It's about your patient, Will Carlson," she said.

"Yes, I know, he died," Wilson said and tried to get the doors to close.

"He's back," the nurse sort off smiled. "I don't know how, but he's alive, the tumor is on its way out and he'll bounce right back."

"Oh." Wilson wasn't prepared for that. "Okay, should I shred- I'm sorry, this has never happened before, what do you do now?"

"Well, my staff are calling his family," she explained. "If you would come with me, there's some paperwork that needs to be done…"

---

"Finally," Wilson exclaimed. "I can go home!"

"See you tomorrow, so," Cuddy said and signed the last paper. "I'm just going to meet up with Mr. Carlson's surgeon and we'll be done with this whole miracle awakening."

"See you tomorrow, Dr Cuddy," Wilson said and closed the door to Cuddy's office.

He made his way to the elevators. Before he went home he was going to visit House. The lift was half way down to the lobby, when Wilson discovered he could not read the No Smoking sign from where he stood. His vision was blurry now, and getting worse. _What's happening to me?_ He had a head ache, worse than any head ache he had ever had. His back pushed against the wall, he sat down on the floor and took of his white coat. Wasn't it a bit warmer than usual? Suddenly, he couldn't hold his head up straight. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.

---

What was happening to him? Why was House talking about dying al of a sudden? He wanted to tell House that he wasn't going to die, he was perfectly fine. He just had a bit of a head ache. He wanted to, but his mouth wouldn't move. His eyes wouldn't open. All he could do was listen to House.

"If you die now, I will never forgive you," House said. Then Wilson heard foot steps, and a cane, definitely a cane. A door closed and he was left alone in the cold room. The air conditioner made a weird, humming noise. It made him sleepy, and he floated off into a world of nightmares…


	4. Chapter 4

-1"What's wrong Greg?" Rosemary Smith looked concerned. "You seem depressed."

"Aren't we all?" came the answer, not quite what she had expected.

"Unusually depressed," she said, hoping to get a proper answer out of her date.

"You've known me for two hours, tops," he said. "Who are you to decide that I seem unusually depressed?"

"Hey, I'm asking the questions here!"

"If someone walked through that door right now," House said. "He wouldn't know you were asking the questions."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rosemary looked puzzled.

"Oh, never mind," House sighed and took a sip of his coke. He longed for a scotch, or maybe even a cold beer, but he had to drive Rosemary home. She had made that clear the moment he arrived outside her door.

"Here, the car is yours," she had said and dropped the keys into his hand. "You're driving."

"Come on," she said, pulling House back from his trip down Memory Lane. "What's up?"

"My friend had a stroke," House confessed. "Or something like it. A blood clot somewhere between the brain and chest."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"People have been saying that to me for two days now," House mumbled. "We're not married!"

"Excuse me?" Rosemary interrupted. "I can't hear you when you mumble like that."

"I couldn't care less. Ah, finally! The food is here!" House called out in joy. He had been waiting for a reason to be quiet all evening.

"I never liked steak," Rosemary said, picking in her own salad. "You would think I was a vegetarian." House didn't look up from his plate, just nodded and continued to chew. The quicker he ate, the quicker he could drive her home and never talk to her again.

"I'm so sorry about your friend," she continued. "Were you close?"

"I don't know," House said and swallowed. "If you don't mind, I'm used to eating alone, and I don't really talk to myself that much, so could you just shut up for just about ten minutes or so?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I'm just trying to make conversation. It is after all a date. We're here to get to know each other."

"No, I'm here because you threatened to stalk me if I didn't say yes," House corrected her. "I'm doing this for the hospital."

"You haven't been on a date for a very long time, have you?" There was a pause. A long, embarrassing pause.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." He looked her straight in the eyes and she shook her head.

"You are impossible," she said at last. "Absolutely impossible."

"I warned you!"

"I couldn't be happier right now," she said and put a piece of lettuce in her mouth.

---

"I swear, it was awful," House told Wilson. "She called me Greg and asked me personal questions." Wilson didn't say anything. "I mean, she called me GREG. Only you and my mother call me Greg. Oh, and Cuddy when she gets serious. But to anyone else, it's Dr House. Or House."

"I'm sorry, doctor," a nurse interrupted. "I just have to check his IV before I leave."

"I'll do it," House offered. "But I'm telling you this, I'm not exchanging his pee-bag."

"His pee-bag?" House pointed. "Oh, that's a pee-bag." The nurse laughed. When she had gone, House checked the IV.

"I hope this is right," he squinted. "Yeah, that should do." He leaned his chin on the cane. "I tell you, Jamie, as much waste of time that date was, I can't say I won't do it again." he looked at Wilson's hair. "You need a shower, dude," he said and left.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Any other day would be fine. Why did she have to show up on this day? Just to find him slaving away, under the florescent lights in the exam room. Why?

"Hi Greg," she said and closed the door behind you.

"Stacy," House said and sat up straight in his chair.

"Nice to see you again," she said. "How long has it been?"

"Oh, I don't know, a few years or so," House said and stood up. "Lets go up to my office."

The ride up in the lift was totally silent. House could only hear his own heart beating. He had already lied to her. The truth was that he knew how long it was since they last saw each other. He knew exactly, but he wouldn't tell her.

"How's the leg?" she finally asked him. It had only been a matter of time.

"Just as the doctors predicted," he replied. "In pain, as always." She looked down, afraid to answer him. The silence was broken first when House had closed the door to his office.

"How've you been?" she asked him. "What've you been up to?"

"Fine. Working," he said and sat down behind the desk. "And you?"

"I got married," she said and held up her left hand to show a gold ring on her finger.

"Interesting," House said, leaning back. "Who is he?"

"His name is Mark Warner," she said. "I'm a Warner now." House nodded, not sure what else to say.

"And what about you?" she said. "Any dates? New friends?"

"James Wilson, who is currently in a coma," House replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Stacy said. "What happened?"

"Stacy, what do you want?" House asked. "I mean, you're not here to see how I am." she sighed and sat down.

"I'm pregnant," she said. "Or at least, I was. I've been…having cramps." she wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek. "I didn't know where else to go!"

"Okay," House hesitated. "I hope your not assuming that I will examine you."

"I figured you wouldn't," she said.

"I'll put Cameron on it," he decided. "She's my…She's a very good doctor. And, she's a she."

"Thank you."

"Did you tell Mark?" he said after a while.

"He thinks I'm pregnant," she said. "I didn't tell him about the cramps yet."

"Yet? How long have these things been going on?"

"Since…This day last week." House stared ahead of him. That was not right. Suddenly he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"What are you doing?" Stacy said and looked confused and frightened.

"I'm calling Cameron," he answered. "She's probably in the conference room… This is House, get up here now! And I mean now," he said and hung up the phone.

"What's so urgent?" Stacy asked. "Greg, what's happening to me?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said. "I'm not really sure. If it was a miscarriage, the cramps would have ended days ago."

"Oh, God!" Stacy's eyes were filling up with tears. "I need to call Mark!"

"I'll take care of that," House said. "Listen, Stacy, I don't think there's any need to worry, okay?" She just nodded and bit her nails.

"What's going on?" Cameron said and rushed into the office.

"Dr Cameron, this is Stacy Warner," House said. "She is pregnant, and she's been having cramps for a week. I need you to examine her."

"Why can't you do it?" Cameron asked.

"I… She's… We're acquainted," House said and picked up the phone. "How do I reach your husband?" Stacy said the phone number to Mark's office and then left with Cameron, leaving House alone.

"Mr. Warner?" he said. "My name is Dr House, I'm calling about your wife. I think you need to come down here…"


	6. Chapter 6

"This is ridiculous!" House said. "First you, now Stacy?" He sighed and looked at Wilson, still lying in the hospital bed. "You better wake up soon."

"Greg?" Cuddy poked her head through the door. "Sorry, I don't want to interrupt…"

"I expect an apology from you, how dare you interrupt our lively discussion?" House said. Cuddy came into the room.

"How's he doing?" she asked. "I haven't been here for a while."

"He's fine," House said and balanced his cane in his palm.

"And how about you?" Cuddy said. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm not the sick one," House remarked. "He is."

"I know." They were silent for a while, studying Wilson and all the machines surrounding him.

"I was just thinking," Cuddy said, finally braking the silence. "I haven't seen you like this since Stacy left."

"Ah, Stacy," House said. "You do know Cameron is examining her as we speak?"

"What?" Cuddy said. "How, I mean… Did you talk to her? What's wrong?"

"She came to me because she has been having cramps for a week."

"Cramps?" Cuddy said. "She went to a doctor because of cramps?"

"She's pregnant," House said. "And married." Cuddy's beeper went off.

"I've got to go," she said and left. House sighed and leaned on his cane.

"You didn't tell me she was married," a very familiar voice said. House looked up. "Or pregnant, for that matter." Wilson was looking at him, his eyes half open.

"Nice to see you to," House said and hardly managed to hide the smile on his lips.

---

"Dr Wilson is awake," House said when he entered the conference room where Chase and Foreman were sitting at the table talking.

"That's fantastic!" Chase exclaimed. "How's he doing?"

"Just fine," House replied. "Now, get back to work." Chase and Foreman looked around.

"Not exactly much to be done, is there?" Foreman said.

"Be a good person," House said. "Go down to the clinic and see what you can do. Go on," he said and poured himself a cup off coffee. He just had time to sit down before his beeper went off.

"It's Cameron…" he mumbled and rushed to the lifts.

---

Stacy was sitting on a chair, still waiting for her husband. She was crying.

"Dr House," Cameron said, forcing House to look at her. "I think we should talk outside." They both went outside the exam room. A man was standing in the reception, asking for Stacy Warner.

"She's in here," House called and the man hurried over. "I'm Dr House. Stacy's waiting for you."

"I know," he said. "I mean, I know you're House. Stacy told me about you." House eyes narrowed.

"Go comfort your wife, will you?" he said. "I don't see why you're still out here." Mark Warner nodded and opened the door. It was quickly closed again.

"We got Mrs. Warner's test results back," Cameron said. "Her body is rejecting the fetus, but at the same time it's keeping it in." House frowned. "It hasn't-"

"I get the picture," House said. "But she can't walk around having cramps all her life because of a fetus- is it even a fetus?"

"Three months, classifies as a fetus," Cameron said.

"So she is technically still in the risk zone for miscarriage," House said. "And it is legal to perform an abortion. Explain the situation and-"

"I have," Cameron interrupted. "But she won't do it."

"Won't do what?" House said, sounding confused.

"She is against abortion."


	7. Chapter 7

"She's against abortion?" House said. "She's not against abortion!" He sighed. "Do I have to do _everything _around here?" he said and jerked the door open.

"Calm down Greg," Stacy said as House stomped into the room. "You're acting like a three year old!"

"Stacy, you're killing yourself here!," House almost yelled, ignoring Stacy's comment. He knew it was true. "You need this abortion!"

"What are you talking about?" Mark said, bewildered.

"Can you explain why? All Dr Cameron-" Stacy said, but House interrupted her.

"Stacy," House said, getting more annoyed (more like mad) by the second. "You need an abortion. Just trust me."

"Abortion?" Mark put his hands on his wife's shoulders. "I don't think so, House."

"Was I talking to you? Go sit in the corner and shut up and you might get some candy later," House snapped. "Please Stacy. Since when are you against abortion?"

"Since I met Mark," Stacy said.

"I'm sorry," House said. "You didn't let me do what I wanted to with my own leg, but it only takes one man to-"

"Greg?" Stacy said. House had gotten a weird look on his face, and he was staring right at Stacy's chest. "Greg! My face is up here!" Mark suddenly woke up.

"A cross?" he said and turned his face towards the window. "One man to turn you around. Who is this, _Jesus_? And I guess you're Mary Magdalene?" He looked at Mark. "You need this abortion, Stacy."

"I think I made it quite clear I'm not doing it," Stacy said.

"It's already dead, Stacy," House said. "It's too late. Now, I have more important things to do." He left the room and closed the door.

"So, is she going to do?" Cameron asked and looked at House.

"I don't know, ask someone else," he said, but quickly changed his mind. "Ask someone who cares - someone who _cares_." Satisfied with his words, he stepped back and looked at the door to the exam room. "Get Chase and Foreman and meet me upstairs."

Something was wrong with Stacy, but was it really her foetus acting up?

Was it even a foetus? Of course it was. She had probably gotten tested and-

But what if the body had rejected the foetus? And that thing inside her stomach was really something else?

Who was to know the difference between a dead foetus and anything else not breathing?

The familiar smell of coffee and white board pens welcomed him into the conference room. He picked up a pen and started writing.

_Symptoms_

_Cramps_

_Delayed period_

_Mood swings_

_Rejected foetus?_

He stood back and studied what he had written.

"Sounds like a miscarriage," Chase said and sat down at the glass table.

"Hang on-" Cameron said. "Is this about Stacy? 'Cause you're not supposed to-"

"Oh, shut up, little miss ethics," House snapped. "We know about the miscarriage."

"So, what's the problem?" Foreman joined the conversation.

"The alleged baby," House glared at Cameron, "is still in there. At least, that's what I've been told."

"Is that possible?" Chase commented.

"Well, it could be," House said, "and although I find it rare and extremely exiting, it's not the case."

"What?" Cameron looked offended and stared angrily at House.

"Calm down, kids," House said. "See, I think the baby isn't a baby. I think it's some form of tumour or cyst."

"But I-" Cameron struggled to find words. "She hadn't bled or-" She suddenly saw where House was going with this.

"In rare cases," House raised his eyebrows pointedly, "the baby comes out another way."

"You're saying she peed it out?" Foreman said sceptically.

"No, Dr Foreman," House said and winked. "This is a hospital. We don't use the word 'pee', and you know it." Foreman frowned and crossed his arms. "You're just saying no because I'm the one suggesting it." Foreman looked strained and tried to figure out an excuse.

"Dr Chase," House said. "While I admit Mrs Warner to the hospital, you will get ready for a biopsy. Dr Cameron, you get the ultrasound ready. Dr Foreman-" House searched his brain for a task. "-you can be a good Samaritan and help out in the clinic." Happy with his decision, House set off to meet Stacy again.

"I'm admitting you," he said when he entered the exam room. "Now, an abortion probably won't be necessary-"

"Thank God!" Mark exclaimed.

"I'm talking here," House said. "-but it could be a tumour. So I'm admitting you." Stacy looked shocked. "Don't worry - you'll get your own room."


	8. Chapter 8

_Peace at last… _House leaned back in his armchair, drink in one hand and remote in the other. He quickly got restless and sat behind the piano. He had a tune in his head, and he needed to get it out. He could hear the lyrics in his head; _Love grows where my Rosemary goes… _She hadn't called him since their date. Strangely, this bothered him more than he could imagine. He thought he would be glad to get rid of her - and yet here he was, playing a stupid love song about someone with her name.

The phone rang. House sprang up from the piano chair. The sudden movement made his leg hurt and he grabbed it and searched for his cane. One Vicodin later and he was good to go; rushing to the phone, limping, cane in one hand, pill jar in the other.

"Greg House," he answered. He suddenly felt stupid. He was never like this. If the phone rang, he let it ring. It was what it had always been like; at least since Stacy left him.

"Greg? Are you alright?" Rosemary said. House could feel something inside of him shout out loud, it was like he had won a foot ball game, like he had won the Olympics, like he had won a war.

"I'm fine, I just-" House realized he was gasping for air. "It's… I rushed to the phone, that's all." He had a weird feeling; suddenly he didn't want to make Rosemary worried.

"I was waiting for you to call me," she said and laughed. "But I realized you don't have my number." House laughed too, but stopped immediately. What the hell was he laughing at.

"Yeah," House said instead, clearing his throat. "I'm sort of busy, did you want anything?" He closed his eyes and hoped she wouldn't take it as rejection.

"I was wondering," she said and sounded distant and embarrassed. "Would you like to go out with me Friday night?"

"What's in it for me?" House said.

"A nice meal, on your expense of course, and a pleasant time with me," Rosemary explained.

"Fine," House said relieved. "I'll pick you up at eight," he said and hung up the phone. He felt like dancing. He felt like singing. He felt like shouting. He sang a bit and warmed some food in the microwave. He danced a bit as he walked to the kitchen table. He didn't shout, though. It's not like he was in love, or anything. He was just in a good mood. Yeah, that was it.

---

"I'm going on a date tomorrow night," House said and sat down beside Wilson's bed.

"I'm trying to sleep and get some rest from all the tests and biopsies, but you're much more important I understand," Wilson replied.

"They still haven't figured out what's wrong with you?" House asked, but changed subject. "Speaking of wrong, Stacy's still here."

"And that's a bad thing?" Wilson asked.

"Seeing she's sick, no, it's a very good thing."

"You don't think it's time to forgive her? She did save your life."

"No, she sentenced me into a life with constant pain and suffering," House said and looked greedily at Wilson's food tray. There was a sandwich that looked particularly good.

"Have it, I'm not hungry," Wilson said and sighed. "You'll always be the same, won't you, Greg?"

"And how am I?" House said with a mouthful of sandwich. "Ew, corned beef," he said and spit it out into a napkin.

"Like an oversized ten-year-old," Wilson said. "A smart, oversized ten-year-old."

"Well, Jimmy," House said, his mouth cleared from corned beef. "This ten-year-old has a date tomorrow." He started digging into the pudding.

"So you said," Wilson said. "Hope you don't steal her food to."

"I might have to; I'm paying."

"McDonalds it is, so."

"No, I'm thinking I might go big; Burger King!"

"Dr House!" Cuddy came into the room, catching House eating Wilson's pudding.

"He said I could have it!" he said and pointed to Wilson.

"Actually, I said you could have my sandwich," Wilson commented.

"You only said that because you know I hate corned beef!"

"Dr House," Cuddy said sharply.

"Yes, mother," House said and reluctantly put down the pudding.

"Get out, you have work to do," she said and held the door open for him.

"See you later, Jimmy, mummy said I have to go in for my bath," House said and limped away.

"I don't know how you put up with him," Cuddy said to Wilson after he had left.

"Neither do I," Wilson said and laughed. "I haven't a clue."


	9. Chapter 9

"Right, people," House said as he entered the conference room. "Test results from Mrs Warner's biopsy and so on and so forth."

"You're right, as always," Cameron sighed. "It's not a foetus, I wasn't paying enough attention to the ultrasound earlier."

"Biopsy shows it's a tumour," Chase put in. "Now we need to know if it's cancer."

"What are you still doing here, so?" House asked and frowned.

"You beeped me!" Chase argued. House wrinkled his eyebrows and pretended that he actually cared. He took a sip of his coffee.

"I was pretty clear that I wanted conclusive test results," he said after a moments silence. "This is not conclusive!"

"But-"

"Uh-uh, no buts! You're a big boy, go find out!" House sighed and shook his head. "Hurry up, will you?" Chase glared at House and picked his papers up from the table. He quickly hurried off to the lab.

"And Foreman, what have you learned?" House said in a fake I-really-do-care-about-what-you-have-to-say-voice.

"I'm not even going to answer that," Foreman said and left the room.

"Are you going to rush out in a huff and slam the door shut too?" house said and looked at Cameron. She looked up from her paperwork and looked directly at House.

"Have you always been like this?" she asked and put down her pen.

"Like what?"

"Like an overgrown ten-year-old." House got a feeling he had had this conversation before.

"Are you in a pact with Wilson, by any chance?" he asked and poured out the remains of his coffee.

"Oh, yes, we're all in it against you," Cameron sighed and gathered her papers.

"I told you so!" House called out triumphantly as Cameron left the room in a huff and slammed the door shut.

---

"Hello, Jimmy," House said and closed the door to Wilson's hospital room. "I have-"

"-a date, I know," Wilson sighed. "It's impossible to get some sleep around here, isn't it?"

"Yes," House agreed. "But Cuddy knew that when she hired me."

"What?" Wilson looked confused. "I don't get it."

"Never mind," House said and sat down in his ordinary chair. "Is Cuddy around?"

"She's been here already," Wilson said. "You can't have my sandwich. It's smoked turkey today."

"Can I have your pudding, then?" House was hungry. The patients always seemed to get better food than the doctors around here.

"Yeah, sure, it's vanilla," Wilson said.

"I hate vanilla pudding," House sighed and twirled his cane. "I have a date tonight."

"Would you stop? I don't care about your stupid date."

"You're just jealous 'cause you have to lie in this stupid bed when I have a stupid date," House gloated. Gloating was bad, but he loved it.

"Oh, yeah, right, 'cause I really want to go out with that weird woman who threatened to stalk you, or in other words, blackmailed you."

"Oh, you don't know anything. I happen to like mass murderers and psychopaths."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You tell me," House said and popped a pill. "Can I have your water?"

"No."

"Please?"

"You big baby."

"Stupid old man," House said grumpily and slumped in his chair.

"Don't you have work to do?"

"Not really," House said and paused. "So, Stacy has cancer."

"What?!" Wilson looked shocked.

"Or maybe she doesn't. I don't know yet, Chase didn't test it yet."

"So what's up with the baby?"

"She peed it out, we think. Unless it's stuck underneath the tumour."

"Interesting," Wilson said.

"Has your wife been in?" House said and changed subjects. Wilson's wife had always been a matter of great interest. House had never met the mystery wife, and had hoped he would get a chance now that a cause that might make them accidentally bump into each other existed, he was hoping it would happen soon.

"You just missed her," Wilson said and gloated. "You probably passed her in the corridor."

"Gloating is bad," House commented. "So is vanilla pudding." Silence filled the room. "Did you start a pact with Cameron?"

"What now?" Wilson said in surprise. "Where the hell do you get all these ideas from? The world isn't in conspiracy against you. You're so paranoid."

"She thinks I'm an overgrown ten-year-old too," House said and nodded, as if that explained everything. Wilson, who was struggling to remember what happened this morning at the moment, just shook his head and changed the subject.

"They found out what it was," he said in a serious tone. "It was… someone… well, they sort off poisoned me."

"Now, if the world isn't in conspiracy against me, why would my friend get poisoned? They're using you to get to me," House explained.

"Greg, I'm serious," Wilson said and frowned. "Someone put formaldehyde in my coffee." House leaned his chin on his cane and strained his mind. Why would anyone want to hurt Wilson? His beeper went off in the midst of the quiet, and without a word he left the room.

"Have a nice day, you too," Wilson sighed and closed his eyes.

---

"So, what is it?" House wasn't sure he wanted to know. He held the envelope in his hand. Chase had given him the honours of opening it and reading out the test result.

"Come on, House, we all want to know," Cameron said. "Not to mention Mrs Warner."

"You're pushing it!" House said and bit his nails. "I don't-" he looked around the room. "Fine!" He ripped the envelope open and took a deep breathe before slowly taking out a paper, folded in half. Another deep breathe, and he slowly unfolded the paper, the paper that would determine the future of Stacy's and Mark's family.


	10. Chapter 10

-1Stacy looked exhausted as she sat down in front of House. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and probably dreading, since House last came out of his office to talk to them.

"Stacy, I…" House looked at Mark. "You should probably sit down too, Mr. Warner." Mark crouched on the floor, never letting go of Stacy's hand. House looked at the two hands, Mark and Stacy's fingers entangled, like they would always stay that way. House thought about Rosemary - and felt a sudden rush through his body. He cleared his throat and slowly began to talk, not knowing exactly what to say. "Stacy… I'm so sorry." Stacy closed her eyes and Mark sat down on the floor. They were both in chock; House knew he should have let Cameron handle it. "It's malignant, and it spread to the liver."

"Oh my god…" Stacy whispered as tears started running down her face. "Am I going to…"

"No, no," House shook his head, mostly to convince himself. "We'll start chemo at once, we'll do radiation, anything it takes."

"What about surgery?" Mark suddenly spoke up. "Can't you remove it surgically, somehow?"

"I hoped it would be possible, but it spread to much already." House felt disconnected from the world. He could see himself, Mark and Stacy sitting in the couches. A feeling of being like a living dead struck him. The words coming out of his mouth weren't his - he could barely hear himself speak, let alone feel his lips move.

"Chemo… How long will it take for her to get better if we do the chemo-thing?" Mark asked. Stacy, who had been sitting quiet all this time, suddenly spoke up.

"I don't want chemo," she said. Quiet struck the three of them.

"Ok, we'll try radiation-" House started.

"No," Stacy interrupted. "I don't want any of that stuff."

"Stacy, please, you have to!" Mark kneeled in front of her. "I don't want to lose you." Stacy's eyes flickered. "Please, Stacy, This isn't like you! You're just in chock, that's all, you have to-"

"Have to do what, Mark?" Stacy said and fixed her eyes on Mark. "I have to survive this? What do I have to live for?"

"Our baby," Mark said. "What about our baby?"

"There is no baby, Mark! It's dead, it's dead because I have cancer."

"But if you live-"

"If I live, I'll probably have to do a hysterectomy." There was a long, silent pause again.

"What about me, Stacy?" Mark asked. "Live for me, do it for me. I love you, you love me! I'm the love of your life, right?" Stacy looked at her hands. "Stacy?"

"I left the love of my life years ago," Stacy said and looked up. She was crying. "Mark, please don't make me do this."

"You still love _him_?" Mark said and pointed accusingly at House. "Is that what you're telling me?" House fumbled with some papers and tried to get a hold of his cane. "Oh no, you're not going anywhere until we get this straightened out," Mark said and grabbed House's cane.

"What the hell, Warner! Give it to me!" House exclaimed. _This is great, I__'__m stranded in an armchair, _he thought.

"Mark, don't be such a baby!" Stacy said. "Give the man his cane, he's a cripple, for god's sake!" Mark handed over the cane and sat down in an armchair. House took it and started to get up.

"You don't love me, you still love him, and you want to die," Mark said. "This is great. Just great."

"You know he was the love of my life," Stacy said.

"I thought I was the love of your life now," Mark said.

"Some things never change."

House got out of his chair and left the couple alone. "Call me when you've reached a decision," he said before shutting the door to his office and closing the drapes. _Isn__'__t this great. I finally find someone I can see myself falling in love with, and Stacy shows up. _The phone rang and brought House back to reality.

"Dr House," he answered. He listened closely for a few seconds, before hanging up and leaving the office. He rushed by Stacy and Mark and headed straight for the lifts.

_---_

"He's better now," the nurse explained. "We still haven't found the cause of the seizure." House ran into the room. Wilson lay asleep on the bed. "We gave him Diazepam to stop the seizure and morphine to prevent him from feeling any pain." House sat down in his usual spot.

"Good God, Wilson, get a grip," House said. "What is up with you?" House's beeper went of. "Tell him I got paged and will be back in a few hours."

---

"He left?" House said and sat down. "Please tell me he went for coffee."

"He's not coming back," Stacy said and sighed. "He went to file for divorce. Lucky me, I did marry the right guy after all." She paused. "At least I'll get to keep my stuff."

"What an ass your husband is," House said and leaned his chin on the cane. "So you figured out what to do yet?"

"Nothing, as I already told you."

"It doesn't sound like you. You used to be a fighter," House said. Stacy didn't say anything and just shrugged.

"I know," she said after a while. She cleared her throat before asking, "How's Wilson doing?"

"He woke up, and then had a seizure," House said, absent-minded. "He was poisoned, someone put formaldehyde in his coffee, that's what's caused the clot."

"What clot?" Stacy said. "I don't remember you telling me anything about a clot."

"Why should you care? You have cancer, never mind Wilson," House said and tapped the table with the end of his cane. Silence once again closed around them.

"It's true, you know," Stacy said after a while. "What Mark said earlier."

"What did Mark say earlier?" House said and acted innocent, pretending he didn't know what Stacy was talking about. Like he hadn't thought about it every single second since it came out into the open.

"I… never really stopped loving you," Stacy said after thinking it through thoroughly.

"And now you have terminal cancer, seeing you're obviously not going to do the treatment, and I…"

"You what, Greg?" Stacy studied him closely. "Don't lie to me. I know you still have feelings for me, I see it in your eyes and how you act when we're together." House just shook his head.

"I have to go," House said. "My shift is over."

"Hang on, Greg," Stacy said and quickly got up. "Do you want to grab some dinner? Nothing fancy, just a burger or something." House bit his lip. "I'm buying." House sighed and looked at Stacy.

---

The sun found it's way through the closed curtain. House looked at the clock. 6.16 A.M. He propped himself up against some pillows and rubbed his eyes. He heard a toilet flush, and Stacy entered the bedroom.


	11. Chapter 11

-1"House…" sighed a very weak and very pale Wilson. "What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know," House replied and rolled a Vicodin between his thumb and forefinger. "I don't know. She's got cancer, and plans to do nothing about it. I am still in love with her. And, I think I have some sort of feelings for this Rosemary, who, by the way, I just stood up yesterday, to go to dinner with Stacy." House put the Vicodin in his mouth and swallowed. Wilson studied him from the hospital bed. "So, who do I choose, the woman that I am sure I love and who is going to die in a matter of months, maybe weeks, or the crazy lady I just met and suspect I might have feelings for?" Wilson's face looked strained, and very contemplative.

"I would go with Stacy," he said after a while. "Go with Stacy, get over her death-" House winced at the mentioning of Stacy dying. "-and then, give this Rosemary a call. You know, like a reserve, or a back up," he concluded. House snorted.

"I didn't think anyone could be _that _cold hearted," he said. "Not even me. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy… it's either one of them, 'cause whichever one I don't choose will hate me for all eternity and rather see me dead than go on an actual date with me."

"This Rosemary would probably have you killed, that's for sure," Wilson said. House shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. "What does your gut tell you?" Wilson asked.

"Stacy loves you, Stacy's not a lunatic, go with Stacy," House said without a doubt.

"Your gut is usually right." There was a long pause, Wilson carefully sipped some water. "You understand what I'm trying to tell you, right?"

"But she's going to die. I don't know if I could handle that."

"She's going to die even if you don't proclaim your love for her," Wilson stated. "House. She's going to die either way, and you'll hurt for a while, but you will get over it, either way. And you know why?" House shrugged. He knew the answer to this question, but let Wilson make his point. "You love her more than you could love anybody, ever." House stood up from his chair, his eyes flickering towards Wilson.

"Get some sleep," he said and left the room. 

"Where are you going?" Wilson asked.

"I have to go let somebody down."

---

_Crap, I hate answering machines, _he thought as he heard Rosemary's recorded message and cleared his throat. _Ok, here we go. _

"Rosemary? Hi, this is Greg House. Listen, I know we were supposed to meet yesterday, but I was held up at the hospital. It was this kid, his legs were purple and… never mind, it's not very important. I was wondering if we could have dinner tonight instead? Uhm, I… Well, call me when you get this message, bye!"

He slammed the receiver down, and looked at it as if it were a poisonous snake. Suddenly, the poisonous snake started to ring. He jumped. Surely, it couldn't be her? He cleared his throat again and picked up the poisonous snake, to put it against his ear.

"House," he said brusquely. "Rosemary, hi. Oh, I see, no problem. Yes, eight is fine, I'll pick you up… Yeah, see you later." He hung up again. He felt strange, like he had just had a conversation with the devil. How much could he get for his soul? he wondered and barely managed not to shudder. Next phone call… he dialled Stacy's number. She picked up after two signals.

"Hey, it's me," he said when she answered.

"Hey, you," Stacy said and sounded happy.

"I… Listen, I can't come over tonight," he said. She sounded disappointed when she replied.

"How come?"

"Just before, well, last night, I… Well, I met someone, and now I'm going to tell her not to get her hopes up." There was a pause. "Stacy?"

"Yes?"

"You know I love you, right?" Stacy sounded relaxed this time, and even happier than when she picked up.

"I know," she said and House could hear her smile through the receiver. He started thinking about dogs marking their territory, and sort off hoped Stacy wouldn't start peeing all over him as soon another woman was near.

"I might come over after that, depending on how long time it takes for her to get the message," he said instead of telling her about his dog theory. Stacy agreed, and they hung up.

---

"Why?" Rosemary looked panic stricken, and tears threatened to flood any moment now. House tried hard not to tell her they had only been on one date.

"Well…" House tried to figure out a less painful way to tell her this.

"Are you gay?" she asked him out of the blue. "Is that why you wouldn't have sex with me?" House snorted.

"I am not gay," he said a bit too loud. "Actually…" he paused. "There's another woman." Rosemary's chin dropped.

"Who?"

"Her name is Stacy Warner," House told her, not sure why he did so. "We were engaged a long time ago, actually. And now she's back," he finished.

"Stacy Warner…" Rosemary mumbled. "Uhm, listen, thanks for telling me this face to face, but I really have to rush," she said and got up. Without another word she rushed out of the restaurant and left House with a puzzled look. He shrugged, asked for the cheque, and left the restaurant to meet Stacy.


End file.
